Breaking Point
by de la mer
Summary: Michelle struggles to accept Tony's imprisonment and the events of Day 3; from Michelle's POV. Takes place between Days 3 and 4- My take on what happened. Characters: T&M, Jack (but not J&M). My first 24 fic, please read and respond.
1. Default Chapter

Breaking Point

Michelle struggles to deal with the results of Day 3, from her POV. My attempt at explaining how she and Tony got to where they are at the start of Day 4. I'd love to hear what you think.

Tony, Michelle, Jack and the whole 24 World don't belong to me, unfortunately. Thank you to the real writers of 24, though, for letting me pretend.

Note: I wanted to add something to Chapter 5, so I've moved things around some. Please re-read chapter 5 if you read the original version. I've wanted to write more the last few days, but I've been sick. This will be my last chance to write for a little while, but I'll be back in a week or so. Thanks again for all the reviews! I know my chapters are short, but that is about how much I write in a night, so I figured I might as well post it like that. If I ever write a book, I promise to make longer chapters :O)

Seattle? Why Seattle? Michelle walked out of CTU into the parking lot, her heels clicking on the pavement. She opened her purse angrily and pulled the keys into her right hand. Her fingers closed hard against the cold metal, cutting into her hand, but she didn't feel it. It was all she could do to keep from throwing her keys against her car as she approached. Rain was falling softly on her head, as though even the weather was taunting her- Seattle! Seattle! She fumbled to put her key into the lock and her keys fell to the ground. She reached down to pick them up and, as she put her hand on the door, realized she had lost the strength to stand. A sound escaped her lips, half sob, half wail, and tears flowed from her eyes to join the rain dripping down her cheeks.

Michelle had always prided herself on being able to control her emotions when things got tough. She refused to let her own feelings get in the way of her job, and she never let anyone see when they had hurt her. Until today. Today she cried uncontrollably, unable to stand. Today there was Seattle, and Seattle suddenly seemed very, very far away.

Tony had been sentenced two weeks earlier, and sent to U. S. Penitentiary Atwater, 130 miles from San Francisco. Michelle was determined to keep faith for both of them, and refused to give up on the idea that Tony was her husband. And she couldn't shake the idea that, if she had just left that hotel door closed, none of this would have happened. If she had only died in that hotel instead… But the past couldn't be undone, and she was not going to give up.

The choice had been obvious. She couldn't bring herself to stay at CTU Los Angeles, not after what they had done to Tony, but she had obligated service remaining, and was not allowed to simply quit. The government had spent a great deal of money to train her, and she wasn't allowed to walk away for another 6 years. Instead, Michelle had put in for a transfer to CTU San Francisco. She wouldn't let herself dwell on the idea of never seeing her husband again except through a glass window, so instead she dwelt on the idea of San Francisco, and let herself pretend that a place could represent some shred of hope in this situation.

Michelle decided to put in for a transfer the day after Tony's sentencing, the phrase "life in prison without parole" still ringing in her ears, the finality of the gavel startling her awake whenever she came close to dozing off. She submitted the transfer paperwork and went back to her job. Everyone told her to take some time off, but she only took on extra shifts. They tried to get her to talk to someone, but she refused even to discuss it. They all thought she was being brave, but Michelle knew the truth. She was hiding. Hiding from the empty house she had once shared, and the empty bed. Hiding from the loss of dreams that had once seemed a certainty. Hiding from the knowledge that she had lost everything, except for her determination to dedicate herself completely to the support of the man who had risked, and lost, everything for her. Because it was her fault. But, as Michelle crouched against her car door in the rain, the flood of grief she thought she could outrun finally swept her out to sea. And there was no one to save her. All because she had opened the door to a hotel that she should have left closed.

Somehow Michelle had found her way back into her car. Somehow she had driven home. Somehow she found herself sitting, still wet, at the foot of her unmade bed, the total silence of the room buzzing in her ears. Michelle was out of ideas. She had pinned all her hopes on the idea of at least being close to Tony in San Francisco, but all of that had been crushed when Hammonds told her she would be sent to Seattle, instead. He had told her that he was sorry, that there were just no openings in San Francisco for someone of her pay grade. Michelle had only been able to stare at him, her throat tightening as she fought to hold back tears. "I'll take a position at any level," she had offered futilely, but even she knew there was no chance of that happening. "I'm sorry, Michelle," he had said, and with a simple phrase crushed what was left of hope.

So it was to be CTU Seattle. Assistant Special Agent in Charge didn't have the ring to it that it would have a few months earlier. It was a joke, a punishment, but it was her duty. She had said nothing, offered no further complaints, showed no emotion. But she couldn't stay there. It was only 9 AM, but Michelle walked down the stairs from what had once been Tony's office, picked up her purse, and walked out of CTU. Now, as she sat at the end of the bed, she stared at the wall, not moving at all except to blink. She focused on the wall so completely that it slowly filled her thoughts, until all that was left was the whiteness of the paint and the silence in her ears.


	2. Chapter 2

Michelle had been granted permission to visit Tony twice a Month, and she had put her moving on hold to go and visit him the first time she was allowed to. She had written him letters every day. She spoke of the weather and the neighbors and of her love for him, but never of what was really eating at her. Tony had enough to deal with, and did not need any more worries. He had not written back, but that was to be expected. Tony had enough to deal with. Because of her.

She had spent hours getting ready in her hotel room. Finally, after four outfits and three hairdos, Michelle rushed out the door and got in her rental car. For the first time in months, she forgot all the pain and was simply excited to see the man she loved. She had so missed the way he held her in his arms, the way he smelled and the sound of his voice when he whispered her name in her ear. Through all that had happened, despite knowing they would never truly be together again, she found that she only felt more attached to Tony. He was her soul mate, and she could never love anyone else like that.

Michelle sat in the sterile waiting room as the guards called Tony down for his visitation. She had tried to prepare herself, but nothing she could do would stop her hands from shaking or her heart from racing. She balled her hands into fists and crossed her arms. Finally one of the guards called her name and she walked down the long hallway to where her husband waited. She saw Tony before he saw her, and her heart almost stopped. He sat at the far end of the booths, behind thick glass, his left eye swollen shut under a purple bruise. He stared straight ahead; his shoulders slumped forward. Michelle gasped and rushed to take her seat in front of him, biting her tongue to keep the tears from her eyes.

"Oh baby," was all that Michelle could say into the receiver before her voice cracked. She put her hand up as though to brush the hair from his eyes, but her fingers struck the glass, instead. Tony looked up after a second, as though he had not noticed her presence until then. He didn't say anything in return, but instead leaned his head against the glass where her hand still rested. Michelle wanted to say something, but her entire body was shaking and her throat was tight. Instead, they both sat like that for a few minutes, afraid to put into words what they both knew anyway. Michelle told herself that she was prepared to sacrifice her life and future for the love of this man as he had done for her, but she was scared. She was so scared. Tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Tony finally said. "It's just a bruise. Some Giants fan said the Cubs sucked, and I just couldn't let that stand." Michelle couldn't help but smile at his joke. "God, you're beautiful when you smile," he said softly.

"I love you so much," she whispered, then cleared her throat to stop her voice from shaking. "They're moving me to Seattle next week, Tony, but I will be here for you. I'm not going to give up on you. I'll be here as often as they'll let me, and I will write to you every day. I'll…"

"Michelle," he interrupted, "I need you to do something for me. I need you to do it without questioning me, because I've had a lot of time to think about this."

"Anything, sweetheart. What is it?"

Tony stared at her for a minute, then scratched the back of his neck and looked at the floor. He shifted in his chair and took a deep breath. "Sweetheart, I want you to think of me as dead, and never come back here or write to me again." Michelle's eyes went wide, and she felt as though she had been frozen in place, unable even to blink. "I can't have you living your life like this, baby! You still have so much more to live for than a man behind a pane a glass that can never take care of you like you deserve. Forget me. I won't blame you, I'll be happy for you, I promise. This was all my fault and I will _not_ be a weight around your ankle for the rest of your life."

"I could _never_ leave you, Tony," she said angrily. "You are here because of _me_. I'm the one who's taken your life away, and I will stay by your side in whatever way I can- forever."

"Oh baby, "he said, looking up into her eyes, tears welling in his own, "it's not your fault. Don't ever think that. It was _my_ choice, and I can't stand to see what it's doing to you." His voice hardened, "I'm sorry Michelle. I can't put you through this." Tony took a deep breath and looked down at his hands, "Do not come back here, because I will not let you see me. Do not write me, because I will only return your letters. Please, Michelle, I would rather you remember what we had before than see me here. I couldn't live with the idea that you were wasting your life on me- it would kill me!" He looked into her eyes once more, "Go, Michelle, I'm dead."

Without another word, Tony got up and walked away, leaving the receiver swinging back and forth at the end of the cord. "Tony!" Michelle yelled into her end, "Don't do this to me!" But he couldn't hear her. He was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Michelle had been in her new house for a month, yet boxes lined the walls of her new place. She didn't have time to unpack; she made sure she didn't. She worked long hours at CTU Seattle. Though she had only been there a matter of weeks, she had already made an impression. She had even led a team effort between CTU and the Coast Guard that stopped an attack on one of the state ferries, the Issaquah, after only a week and a half on the job. Her new co-workers were amazed by her dedication and the long hours she worked. Even those who didn't know her past. After work, she went to the gym, letting mile after mile pass beneath her feet on the treadmill. She took her time in the shower, and then took the long way home. By the time she got there, it was already late, so she would watch TV until she was tired enough to go to sleep. Michelle was so busy in her new life; she barely had time to think. She made sure of that. Michelle was moving forward at her job, she just couldn't find the strength to care enough to put the pieces of her personal life back together.

It was Saturday and, when she checked the mail, the only item was a large envelope. She silently thanked the powers that be that there were no more returned letters from the Prison. That would be ridiculous, though, since they had all been returned already. She walked in the kitchen, pulled a knife from the sink and used it to open the envelope. Inside there was a packet of papers and a smaller envelope. The papers were divorce papers. Michelle looked at the ceiling and took a deep breath, then opened the smaller envelope. Inside was a hand-written letter, in Tony's handwriting. Her heart jumped at the idea of hearing from her husband at all, though she knew already what the letter would contain.

"Michelle,

"This does not change what I told you last time I saw you, but I didn't feel right sending this without something directly from me. But you know how I feel. Forget me, Michelle. Forget me, and find the happiness you deserve. I can't continue to live with the idea of you wasting your life on me. Only you can make all of this worthwhile.

I will find you in whatever lies beyond,

Tony"

Michelle let the letter fall to the floor, but threw the divorce papers across the room as hard as she could. They slammed against the front door and fluttered to the floor of the entryway. Michelle suddenly felt cold, so she went to the couch and lay down with an afghan wrapped around her. She had no more tears to cry, and instead let the darkness and the blanket and the couch surround her until it all disappeared.

Michelle awoke with a start, covered in sweat. She had been in the hotel again, had walked through those glass doors once more, as she did every night. Gael and the other agents always followed her in, and she could never remember to order them back until it was too late. She saw Gael's wife staring in through the window at her. Accusing her. She heard the screams of the children she hadn't been able to save. They screamed her name, but there was nothing she could do. Lately, she would turn down a hallway only to have piles of letters come down upon her head like Seattle rain, her own letters, returned by Tony. This time, however, she did not go in. She did not open those glass doors because she was too afraid. She looked around for Tony, checking every CTU vehicle and trying his cell phone. When she found him, he was inside, on the other side of the glass, and he was infected. She wanted to open the doors, to run into his arms and share his fate, but the doors were locked, her feet frozen to the ground in fear. And Michelle wished that she had not been immune, that she could have taken Gael's place. That she could have led her agents to the end of the path that she herself had started them down by opening two glass doors. Most of all, she knew that if she had been infected, Tony wouldn't have followed her, either. So many had gone into danger because of her, but only Michelle had been immune. And the gavel pounded with startling finality.

Michelle awoke to realize it was the door. She read the clock and saw that it was only 7:57 PM, much earlier than she had expected. She opened the door to find Jack standing there, a small suitcase behind him. "Jack?" she said.

"Hi, Michelle. It's good to see you." He hugged her, and, as he held her for that moment, an iota of strength seemed to come back into her. It seemed like forever since she had seen a friend.

"Jack. What are you doing here?" Michelle let him go and leaned back a bit to look at his face.

"Well, it would seem that I am unemployed at the moment, and I've always wanted to see Seattle, so I thought maybe you would let me stay a while if I helped you set up the place." Jack smiled. They both knew he was lying. Michelle let herself smile as well, relieved.

The next morning, Jack got to work unpacking Michelle's things. He wouldn't let Michelle help with anything but the smaller items, so he told her stories of what he had been up to, instead. He told her of Kim's attempts at being a Mom, and of Chloe's attempts at relating to people at all. Michelle couldn't remember the last time she had laughed, and she had forgotten how good it felt. Jack told her every light-hearted story he could think of, but there were two topics they didn't bring up. Jack didn't ask about Tony, and Michelle didn't ask about Jack's struggle to give up heroin.

"How long are you going to stay, Jack?" Michelle finally asked, after listening to him talk about Kim trying to chase Angela, who had run from the prospect of getting dressed.

"You're sick of me already, Michelle? I don't usually have that effect for at least three days!" Michelle didn't know how to tell him he could stay as long as he liked, so she just smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

Michelle decided to take a week of vacation time to get her house in order and to visit with Jack. Over the next couple of days, the piles of boxes slowly disappeared, until only the packet of papers by the door remained out of place. Neither of them would touch it, though both knew what it was. Finally Jack saw that there was nothing else besides those papers to be put away, so he brought the packet in to Michelle, who was sitting at the kitchen counter with a glass of water. He laid it on the table in front of her then sat down as well.

"Tony sent you," Michelle said, looking up at him, "didn't he?"

"Michelle…."

"It's okay, Jack. I'm glad he's still talking to someone. How is he?"

Jack sighed and ran his hands over his face, leaving one against his chin. He looked at her for a few seconds before answering. "I'm supposed to tell you that I haven't seen him," he started, "I'm supposed to tell you that he's better off this way. That you're better off this way. I'm supposed to convince you…" Jack's voice trailed off, and he looked unintentionally at the papers on the table between them.

"To sign?" Michelle finished for him, "he sent you to do his dirty work, then? To convince me to run from the man I love? To run from what my own selfishness has brought about?"

"What are you talking about, Michelle? You did your _job_. Nothing that happened that day was your fault. We can't save everyone, Michelle, no matter how hard we try. If you let it eat at you like that, you're only going to hurt yourself more. Believe me."

"Then what would _you_ do, Jack?" Michelle found herself getting angry, and Jack happened to be the closest target. "If Teri was in prison, instead? Because of her love for _you_? Would _you_ walk away, Jack? I know you can be cold, but I don't know if I'd give you _that_ much credit!" She could see that she had hurt Jack, and something inside of her took joy in that.

"What would you want _him_ to do, Michelle," Jack asked gently, "if things were reversed?" Michelle stared him down. "At least consider signing. I think that Tony would be happy for you. It would be a weight off his shoulders to know you had moved on."

Michelle stood up, fire in her eyes. "Am I a weight on his shoulders, then, Jack?" she screamed, "After all I've _already_ taken from him, I'm still a _burden_?" She threw her glass of water across the room, missing Jack by a few feet but not sparing the lamp, which fell to the ground with a crash. Michelle bit her lower lip and looked to see what she had done. The anger she had felt flowed out of her, along with her strength. She sank back down into her chair.

Without a word, Jack came around the table and hugged her as he would a small child. He could feel her shaking as she sobbed quietly, her legs pulled up against her chest. After a while, Michelle was able to stop crying, and Jack helped her up the stairs to her room.

When he came back down a few minutes later, Jack picked up the divorce papers from the counter and flipped through them. Tony had signed in all of the necessary places, and seen to it that flags had been added in all the places for Michelle to sign. He closed the packet and put it in the bottom drawer of Michelle's desk, hoping that some day she would have the courage to sign it.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack stayed for a week, but then was called to Washington D.C. for an interview with the Department of Defense. Michelle went back to work the next day, feeling that her life was slightly more in her control now that she was no longer living out of boxes. The days and weeks passed by, and Michelle found ways to keep herself busy on the weekends. Michelle had never really been one for the outdoors, but she found she had grown to enjoy the silence of the woods and the smell of the trees after the rain. And it kept her out of her empty house.

Slowly, Michelle felt like she was coming back to life, during the daytime at least. She had made a few friends at work, including her boss, Bill Buchanan, and the group of them had gone out on the town a few times. She continued to write occasionally to Tony, telling herself to be content in the fact that he always sent her letters back unopened. At least, she would tell herself, he is still alive to return them. She had taught herself to sew and now had a basic knowledge of cooking. Well, as long as toast, noodles and chicken counted as cooking. She was particularly proud of the chicken part. She did whatever she could to keep her mind busy until it was time to go to sleep

At night, she was still tormented by her own thoughts. She found herself going to bed later and later, and sleeping less and less. She would lie awake for hours, the past months running through her head again and again. Finally, she had gone to her doctor, who had prescribed her some sleeping medication. Though that had helped her to fall asleep, there was nothing he could prescribe to stop the nightmares that filled her head while she slept. One night, as she wandered the hotel's hallways in her mind, the white walls turned into prison bars, and she found herself standing outside of what she somehow knew was Tony's cell. A group of guards stood inside, looking at something on the ground. Michelle pushed her way through to find her husband, lying in a pool of blood. Michelle screamed his name and cradled him in her arms, but it was too late; he was already dead. Suddenly, all of the guards were gone and she was alone. In her ear she heard Tony's voice say, "Is this how much it will take for you to be free, Michelle?" She turned around, but there was no one there. And on the floor were the divorce papers, the little red flags marking the places for her to sign.

Michelle sat straight up in bed, gasping. She was shaking all over and so tired that she felt sick to her stomach. She turned on the light next to her bed, suddenly wary of the dark. Through the silence of the room, she could still hear Tony's voice in her ear. Was it just a dream? Michelle was afraid to know the truth. She felt like her nightmare was continuing, like she couldn't escape it. Like she had really seen Tony. Dead.

Once Michelle was able to stop her hands from shaking, she picked up the phone and dialed the prison. The night watchman answered, sounding bored. "Hello," she said, her voice shaking. She cleared her throat and started again, "Hello, my name is Michelle Almeida. My husband, Tony, is he alright?"

The guard sounded confused, "What do you mean? It's 4 AM, he's locked in his cell for the night."

Michelle forced herself to sound calm, "Just tell me that he's alright, okay?"

The guard paused, and Michelle could hear him typing on the computer. "Um, as far as I can tell, Mrs.…. Almeida, he was fine at lockdown at 2200. Besides, if anything happens to a prisoner, we call the number on their contact list, which for Mr. Almeida is… actually, I'm sorry, he's requested that no one be notified. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing," she replied, "I just... Thank you," and hung up without waiting for her reply.

The nightmare ran through Michelle's mind over and over. Would he? Michelle didn't think Tony would ever be so desperate as to take his own life. But what if? What if he thought he was doing it for her? Michelle remembered what he had written in the letter he sent with the papers, "I can't continue to live with the idea of you wasting your life on me." Over and over that phrase repeated in her mind, as though she had heard Tony speak it, "can't continue to live." Would he? She asked herself again. Michelle was afraid to take the chance.

She thought knew what she needed to do, though it was far from what she wanted. Michelle walked down stairs, sat down at the desk and pulled out the divorce papers. Her head was still spinning and the paper looked far away and out of focus. Michelle strained to see the writing clearly and picked up the pen. When she put the pen to the paper, her hand was shaking so bad she had to put it down again. After a moment, she picked up the pen again, took a deep breath, silently asked for Tony's forgiveness, and signed. And blue ink marked the end of all of her dreams.


	6. Chapter 6

Michelle sat for a long time, the signed divorce papers in her hands. She didn't want this to be her only choice, but she was afraid of what the alternative might be. She had signed, but something was keeping her from sealing those papers in the envelope and putting them in the mail.

She closed her eyes and memories of her life with Tony flowed through her mind. Her first feelings for him, their first kiss, first date, first time together. The moment she realized she loved him, and that he was 'the one.' Their wedding. Late night conversations, moments he had made her laugh, discussing the future of their family, knowing that, for one man, she was everything. Dreaming of growing old with him by her side. How could all of that be gone? How could so much heartache have come from opening two glass doors?

Once, she had been amazed by the strength of Tony's love for her. She would lie awake thinking about it, wondering what she had done to deserve such attention. She had watched him while he slept, thinking of how lucky she was to have him by her side, forever. But for Tony, his love had become a curse. She had destroyed him with her own mistake. She had made him weak, and that weakness had destroyed him. If only they had never met, they both could have lived their lives never knowing what was possible. If Tony had never loved Michelle, he would be free.

Now, Tony wanted her to leave. Did he still love her? Michelle realized she couldn't blame him if he didn't. Was she just a burden to him now? Just an unhappy reminder of his own weakness, the cause of his imprisonment? Michelle wished that she could take his place. She wished that she had not opened those doors, that she had not been immune, and that Tony had been able to choose the welfare of the American people over her own.

As she thought about his sacrifice, however, her resolve weakened again. She took the signed papers out of the mailing envelope and placed them back in the drawer. But she was not sure if it was for Tony's welfare, or her own.

Time continued to pass, and Michelle continued to live two separate lives, a quiet battle against the loneliness she feared. One night, as Michelle was cooking dinner, her phone rang. She was surprised to hear Jack on the other end. "Michelle? I can hardly hear you." Jack's voice was garbled by the poor reception at his end.

"Jack? I can't hear you, where are you?"

"I'm in the Washington D. C…." His voice went static-y.

"Where," Michelle yelled back, as though being louder would fix the reception.

"The Metro! I have news about Tony. He's…." The line went dead. Michelle's heart seemed to jump clear up into her throat. Tony? What about Tony? She stared at her phone, willing it to ring again.

After a few moments, the phone in her hand did ring again, startling her even though she had expected it. "Jack, what did you say about Tony?" she said without first checking to see if it was actually him.

"Michelle! I just spoke with President Palmer. He's going to pardon Tony! Tomorrow! He'll be free by tomorrow!"

Michelle almost dropped the phone. "What? Free! Oh, Jack! How can I ever thank you enough? How… how did you get this to happen?" Michelle was so excited her voice squeaked.

"It wasn't that hard, Michelle, once I actually got to speak with the President in person. He's a good man, and he's on his way out of office anyway, so he could care less about how it looks politically."

Michelle talked with Jack for a few more minutes, but realized once she hung up that she couldn't remember any of the conversation after he had told her that Tony would be free. Tomorrow. Michelle sank down to her knees and thanked God, laughing and crying at the same time. Then she realized she need to pack, so she ran upstairs. Then that she needed to call Bill and ask for time off of work, so she ran back downstairs to get the phone. Then she realized that she needed plane tickets, first, and rushed to her computer. Then that she had left the stove on and her chicken was burning. Michelle smiled as the black smoke rising from the stove set the fire alarm off: suddenly the life she thought was only a memory seemed to be coming back to her.


	7. Chapter 7

Michelle waited outside of the prison gate the next morning. She was too excited to sit in her rental car, so she leaned against the door instead, watching the door to the prison carefully, searching for any sign of movement. After what seemed like forever, the heavy metal doors swung open and Tony walked out, wearing the same clothes he had been wearing on that terrible day when they had taken him from her arms. Even from a distance she could see that they fit looser on him than they had before. He walked with his shoulders slumped, his eyes focused on the ground. Until, that is, the guard opened the final gate for him and he found himself outside. Free. Michelle ran towards him. After a moment, he heard her heels on the pavement and looked up, a smile finally appearing on his face.

Tony took his wife in his arms, kissing her hair. Michelle took in the smell of him, the feel of his arms around her, the feel of the stubble on his upper lip, the sound of his voice in her ear once again as he said her name. They kissed, and all the pain seemed to disappear, as though it had never happened. They stood like that for some time, with the warm California sun on their shoulders, just holding on to each other. Now, Michelle thought, everything would be all right.

Michelle drove back to the hotel, somehow managing to get back there safely while still holding Tony's hand. Tony wanted to take a shower, so Michelle ordered Chinese for dinner, their favorite. When the food came, Tony was still hadn't come back out of the bathroom, so Michelle opened the door slowly, wisps of steam flowing past her head. She smiled when she saw Tony, who had fallen sound asleep in the tub, one arm hanging over the side, his chin resting against his chest.

Michelle sat down on the bath mat next to him and just watched her husband, a soft smile on her face. Finally, she couldn't resist, and reached up to brush the hair from his face. As she touched him, though, he awoke with a start and a gasp. He lifted his arms up to his chest in a defensive stance, knocking her hand away and splashing the water out onto Michelle.

Tony opened his eyes and realized where he was. He relaxed, taking Michelle's hand in both of his and smiling down at her. Michelle could only sit on the floor, startled, her heart pounding, water dripping from her head and clothes onto the tile floor.


	8. Chapter 8

Michelle had gotten over her surprise at Tony's reaction quickly enough. After all he had been through, how could she blame him for anything? Especially with those eyes of his looking at her. He had pulled her closer and kissed her, then pulled her into the tub all together. They never did get to that Chinese dinner she had ordered.

They drove to the airport the next day to catch their flight. They showed their ID's at the front counter, but it seemed to be taking longer than usual to get their boarding passes. Finally, a man in a suit came up to Tony.

"Mr. Almeida? My name is Franklin Davy. May I speak to you alone for a moment, please?"

"A'right, sure, but I'd rather not make my wife wait outside."

"Of course, follow me."

The three of them went into a room with cold white walls and Mr. Davy motioned for them to sit down. Once they were all seated, he shuffled some papers for a second, then said, "Mr. Almeida, it would appear that your name is on our 'No Fly List.' Is there any chance this is a mistake?"

Tony looked down at the table, scratched the back of his neck, "Look, I was just released from prison yesterday, but I got a full pardon from the President himself. I'm not a threat. My wife still works for CTU, she can vouch for me."

"I'm sorry," Mr. Davy said, "but it would be a violation of federal law to let you on any flight while your name still appears on that list. Perhaps if you come back when this has been cleared up…"

"Perhaps if you called _the President_, he would explain to you that I have been given a _full pardon_! Perhaps if you called CTU Seattle they would tell you that by keeping us off this plane you are keeping a _Federal Agent_ from her job!"

"Nothing is keeping your wife from getting on the plane, Mr. Almeida, except for you. She is free to go."

Tony stood up, knocking the chair over behind him. He put both hands on the edge of the table and stared down the man across from him. "You really think you're 'defending the country?' You don't even know…"

Mr. Davy picked up his radio, "Security, please report to room 37."

Michelle put her hand on Tony's shoulder and squeezed it. "We'll drive back," she said to him. "We'll drive," she said to Mr. Davy. Michelle took her husband's arm and steered him back out to the baggage check to get her things, and then back outside to the rental car office.

They passed most of the 14-hour drive in silence. Michelle drove the first leg and let Tony sleep. He seemed so tired, like he hadn't slept at all while he was in prison. Tony had told her to wake him after four hours, but she didn't have the heart. The dry grassy hills of California turned into pines trees, then the evergreens of Southern Oregon. Late in the afternoon, with at least 5 hours still to go, Michelle stopped for gas at a truck stop in Eugene. She was so tired she could hardly keep her eyes open, so she parked the car and leaned her own seat back for a quick nap.

A few minutes later, she woke to the sound of Tony's voice in her ear. "I think that means it's my turn, sweetheart." Michelle smiled sleepily, opening one eye against the afternoon sun. "Actually, I think it was my turn a few hundred miles ago."

"But you were so tired," Michelle said, unable to stop a yawn as she spoke.

Tony got up and came around to her side of the car, opening the door. "Up," he said, "you're not supposed to sleep in the driver's seat." Michelle complied, climbing over the console to the passenger seat. Tony re-adjusted the seat, took her hand in his, and got back onto the freeway.

For a long time Michelle stared out the window, unable to fall back asleep. She wished she knew what to say to Tony. How to ask him about prison, about his reaction the night before, about the letters he returned, about everything. Deep inside, she found herself wanting to know why he had filed for divorce so quickly, and without even speaking to her first. Michelle realized that she was scared to know just what Tony had been through; afraid to see how dearly his love for her had cost him.

Michelle wanted to ask Tony so many things, but was afraid to broach any subject that would be painful for him. He deserved to be happy, not to be dragged back through painful memories for the sake of her curiosity. Finally, Tony was the one who broke the silence. "How has Seattle been?" He asked.

"I didn't like it at first," she admitted, "but now it's grown on me. I miss the sun in the winter, though."

Tony nodded, "Yeah."

"There's a rumor going around that a leadership position at Division in L.A. has opened up, and apparently I've been recommended for it." Michelle paused awkwardly, "unless you don't want to move back down there."

"You're the one with the job," was all he said.

Michelle tried to think of something else to talk about. "Jack's got a new job in D.C., working for the incoming Secretary of Defense."

"Hmmm."

"He says he's really enjoying it, but it's hard to picture Jack at a desk job with a suit on every day."

Tony smiled crookedly and looked over at Michelle, "Jack? All dressed up and playing by the rules? He won't be able to stick with that for long, watch. As soon as there's trouble, he'll find is way to whatever CTU office is close enough and manage to tag along with whatever mission is the most dangerous."

"I don't know," Michelle said thoughtfully, "Apparently he and the Secretary's daughter have become friends.

"Ulterior motives, then? Maybe, but I don't know if the woman exists who could keep Jack from sticking his nose into danger."

"Well, he deserves to be happy for once, he's been through enough."

Tony stared out at the road ahead of him, "When you've been through as much as Jack has, you reach a point when it's no longer about finding happiness. It's about becoming too comfortable with the opposite of that, so that happiness just doesn't feel right any more. Has he been able to kick his drug habit?"

"He's been clean since that day," Michelle said, knowing they both knew what day 'that' was, "but that didn't keep them from firing him anyway."

"I heard," Tony replied.

Michelle bit her lip and looked out the window, 'Yes,' she thought to herself, 'it was only me that you wanted out of your life.' The silence hung in the air between them. Tony continued to drive and Michelle continued staring out the side window at the passing countryside. Eventually, she closed her eyes to sleep.


End file.
